Every driver wants to have a bright sunny day when driving on the road. It is really too bad, but at least 10 hours of that day will not be full sunshine. Night has its own special challenge for anyone behind the wheel of a car. You do not have to be afraid of driving in the dark. You simply have to remember a few things so that you do not go bump in the night.

1. You Do Not Have to Race Through Twilight. As a matter of fact, you really should go a little slower. The reason is your vision is limited during the dark hours. This is especially true if you live in the country. Going a little slower can prevent an accident, like hitting a deer in the middle of the highway.

2. Turn on Your Bright Headlights Only When Necessary. It is tempting to turn on the bright lights so that you have better vision. Doing this can cause problems for oncoming traffic. It is possible you might temporarily blind somebody with a high intensity beam, and that can cause an accident.

3. Know When to Stop. This advice is for those people who want to drive through the night to get to a destination. This is asking for you to drive without sleep for at least 24 hours and that is very dangerous. Fatigue behind the wheel causes a lot of very serious accidents. Be willing to spend a little money on a room overnight. If you don’t want to do that, pull off the road for at least an hour or so to rest.

4. Dim the Dashboard Lights. You do not need to have the lights on the dashboard at high intensity. They can be less bright and that will help your forward vision.

5. Do Not Stare at Oncoming Traffic. The other driver has the lights on, and this can disrupt your concentration if you are staring at them. Even worse, if the other driver has the bright headlights on you can be temporarily at a loss for sight.

6. Wipe the Windshield. Do not do this with your hands because you can leave smears. You can use a cotton cloth or even a newspaper to just do a little rubbing of the glass, getting rid of any streaks.

7. Check the Mirrors Before You Leave. You do not want to have dirty mirrors because it reflects light from traffic in the rear and this can be glaring. Be sure to aim the mirror so that you can easily look at them without having to deal with direct light from behind. Adjust them just a little bit downward.

8. Be Careful About Your Glasses. No, do not wear your sunglasses at night. All that does is make things even darker. You only should be wearing glasses if you need them for vision.

9. Always Be Alert. You have to be very careful about nodding off, and you also have to keep yourself at attention. Driving during the daytime is easier because of increased vision. You have to pay a little bit more notice to the road. As mentioned before, if you are feeling drowsy then you need to pull over for a moment.

10. Respect the Weather. You cannot drive at night in rain and on wet roads the way you can during the day. The same is true if you happen to be in a snowstorm. When the roads are slick at night, there’s a considerable amount of danger. This is when driving slowly and carefully could save your life. Remember that you can be a little bit late to an appointment. It matters that you show up alive.

Night driving is very frightening for some people, even to the point where they refuse to drive after dark. While you may not like driving at night, there are times when you simply have no choice. Emergencies happen at any time of the day or night. It matters that you are very careful as the sun goes down. If you know the road ahead has curves, go a little bit slower. If you feel a little bit sleepy then perhaps don’t go out at all. Safety is critical and always keep that in mind. If you do, you’ll be able to greet the rose-colored dawn the next morning without damage to you or your car.